1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to devices that facilitate the task of a care giver such as a physical therapist when helping patients perform standing or walking exercises. More particularly, it relates to a gait harness that is worn by the patient and an ambulator to which the gait harness may be attached.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Patients who need assistance in walking or standing are typically assisted by three people a physical therapist and two physical therapist assistants. The physical therapist and one physical therapist assistant stand on opposite sides of the patient and hold the patient. A third person walks behind the patient with a wheel chair because the patient may tire quickly and require seating.
Hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other such institutions are often understaffed and the members of the staff are therefore overworked and lack sufficient time to give each patient the attention they require. When three people are required to help one patient walk a short distance, it is obvious that other patients are not being helped.
What is needed, then, is a standing or walking aid that assists a patient in standing or walking, and which reduces the number of personnel required to assist such patient.
However, in view of the prior art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how the identified needs could be fulfilled.
The longstanding but heretofore unfulfilled need for an apparatus that reduces the number of care givers required to help a patient stand or walk so that the quality of care could be increased for that patient and other patients is now met by a new, useful, and nonobvious ambulator. The novel ambulator is intended for use on a substantially horizontal support surface. It includes a first base rail of straight configuration and elongate extent. The first base rail has a leading end and a trailing end and is disposed in a substantially horizontal plane. A first pair of longitudinally spaced apart wheels supports the first base rail. More particularly, a first forward wheel is disposed near a leading end of the first base rail and a first rear wheel is disposed near a trailing end thereof. A first support post is mounted to the first base rail in upstanding relation thereto and a first arm support is disposed in surmounting relation to the first support post. The first arm support is disposed substantially parallel to the first base rail. A second base rail is disposed in parallel, transversely spaced apart relation to the first base rail and has the same construction as the first base rail. A second pair of longitudinally spaced apart wheels support the second base rail. The second pair of wheels includes a second forward wheel disposed near a leading end of the second base rail and a second rear wheel disposed near a trailing end of the second base rail. A second support post is mounted to the second base rail in upstanding relation thereto and a second arm support is disposed in surmounting relation to the second support post. The second arm support is substantially parallel to the second base rail.
A first transversely disposed rod is disposed in interconnecting relation between respective leading ends of the first and second arm supports and defines a forward end of the ambulator. The first and second base rails, the first and second arm supports, and the first transversely disposed rod collectively form a square xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d-shaped three-sided enclosure within which an individual requiring assistance in standing and walking is positioned.
A second transversely disposed rod is disposed in interconnecting relation between respective leading ends of the first and second base rails. This second rod is disposed in leading relation to the first transversely disposed rod so that the feet of the individual using the ambulator as a walking aid may travel beyond the forward end of the ambulator without hitting the second transversely disposed rod.
A harness member is worn by the patient at all times when ambulator 10 is in use. The harness member includes a belt-like base that snugly fits around the waist of the patient. A plurality of spaced apart loops are secured to the base along the length thereof and a corresponding plurality of loops are secured to the arm supports. A plurality of straps interconnect the harness to the arm supports. More particularly, the radially innermost end of each strap is releasably secured to a preselected loop of the belt-like base and the radially outermost end of each strap is releasably connected to a preselected loop of a preselected arm support. The straps are pulled taut so that movement of the patient effects simultaneous and corresponding movement of the ambulator. The harness thus supports the patient when walking or standing. Significantly, when the patient tires, the harness provides a seat that comfortably supports the patient, thereby obviating the need for a wheelchair and a wheelchair operator. After resting, the patient can resume walking or standing without the intervention of a care giver.
The support posts are of telescopic construction so that the height of the ambulator may be adjusted to accommodate patients of varying heights.
A unique braking means is also provided. A pair of transversely spaced apart posts depend from the second transverse rod that forms a part of the base assembly of the ambulator. A bias means is positioned above each of the forward wheels of the ambulator so that the posts are vertically spaced above the support surface when the bias means are in repose. If a patient falls forwardly while walking, thereby applying downward pressure to the first transverse rod, the bias members are compressed and the posts engage the support surface, thereby preventing forward travel of the ambulator until pressure has been removed from said transverse bar.
A third transversely disposed rod is disposed in interconnecting relation between respective trailing ends of the first and second arm supports. This third rod serves to close the square xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d-shaped enclosure when a patient is lifted into the enclosure by a lift or crane means. In that circumstance, the patient is facing in the opposite direction as those patients who enter the walker under their own power. The third transversely disposed rod performs the function of the first transversely disposed rod when the user is facing rearwardly.
A primary object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that reduces from three to one the number of people required to assist a patient who needs assistance in standing or walking.
A closely related object is to attain the foregoing object with an apparatus that prevents a patient from falling even when the patient is not being held by a physical therapist.
These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this description proceeds.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the description set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.